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On Monday, eight Major League Baseball players were extended qualifying offers, each valued at $23.15 million for a single season. The group features outfielders Randy Arozarena (Mariners) and Seiya Suzuki (Cubs), second baseman Brandon Lowe (Pirates), left-handers Trevor Rogers (Orioles) and Adrian Morejon (Padres), right-hander David Bednar (Yankees), first baseman Jake Bauers (Brewers), and catcher Ryan Jeffers (Twins). All recipients must inform their respective clubs by November 17 whether they will accept or reject the offer.
Qualifying offers operate similarly to the NFL's franchise tag but carry distinct rules. They can only be tendered to impending free agents who have never received a qualifying offer before and who spent the entire regular season with the organization—players acquired via trade are ineligible. If a player accepts, he returns to his previous team on a one-year deal. If he declines, his former club receives a compensatory draft pick, while his new team forfeits a pick.
The compensatory pick's placement depends on the former team's financial status: a competitive balance tax payer receives a pick after the fourth round; a revenue-sharing recipient gets one after the first round or after Competitive Balance Round B; and a team that is neither gets a pick after Competitive Balance Round B.
Key Analysis
For Seattle, retaining Arozarena is a top offseason priority alongside the search for a new manager after Dan Wilson was dismissed following a 76-86 campaign. In his second full season with the Mariners, Arozarena earned his first All-Star nod, batting .281/.381/.484 with 26 home runs and 79 RBI over 154 games—his second-highest home run total in an eight-year career, despite playing half his games at pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park.
Suzuki, 31, has spent all five of his MLB seasons with the Cubs. Last year, he appeared in 143 games, hitting .270 with 26 homers and 86 RBI, and his 5.1 WAR represented a career best, easily surpassing his previous high of 3.5 in 2024.
Lowe signed with Pittsburgh last offseason to inject power into the lineup and delivered, clubbing a team-leading 35 home runs in 150 games—Oneil Cruz was second with 20. Lowe also drove in 96 runs, the second-most of his career, and his .260 average was his highest since the shortened 2020 season.
Rogers has been with Baltimore since being acquired from Miami in 2024. The lefty made 30 starts last year, going 10-11 with a 4.03 ERA. He led the Orioles in wins and ranked second in innings pitched (169 2/3), trailing only Shane Baz (179 2/3).
Morejon set a career high with 76 appearances for San Diego, posting a 9-3 record and a 2.83 ERA while striking out 107 batters in 86 innings. He had previously struck out 71 in 63 2/3 innings in 2024.
Bednar completed his first full season with the Yankees in 2026, making 64 appearances and going 7-3 with a 2.47 ERA. He saved 35 games, the second-most in a single season of his career, and blew four saves. His seven wins were tied for the most by a New York reliever last season.
Bauers is coming off a World Series championship with Milwaukee—the first in franchise history—and a career year. He played in 144 games, slashing .266/.389/.484 with career highs in home runs (26) and RBI (86), leading the Brewers in both homers and on-base percentage during the regular season. He struggled in the postseason, batting .191 but adding one home run and six RBI.
Jeffers, 29, is widely regarded as the top catcher available this offseason. He played in 92 games for Minnesota, missing nearly two months with a fractured hamate bone in his left wrist. He hit .256 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI, posting a 2.8 WAR—the eighth-highest among catchers last season.
Originally reported by yahoo.